Author Guidelines

Before submitting your manuscript to Mari Papel y Corrugado, kindly review the following steps to ensure a smooth submission process:

1. Review Journal Scope: Verify that your research aligns with the specific themes and objectives outlined in the Aims & Scope of Mari Papel y Corrugado to ensure your work fits the journal’s focus areas.

2. Manuscript Formatting: Prepare your manuscript using a standard LaTeX template, ensuring that it follows the appropriate structure and presentation format for submission.

3. Ethical and Legal Compliance: Confirm that your submission adheres to publication standards regarding ethical conduct, copyright laws, authorship guidelines, figure and data formatting, and reference style requirements.

4. Author Approval: Ensure that every listed author has thoroughly reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript and is fully informed about the journal’s submission guidelines and author instructions.

5. Optional Biography: If desired, authors are encouraged to provide a concise biography to accompany the submission for editorial use.

Manuscript Submission Overview

Mari Papel y Corrugado welcomes submissions of both research articles and review papers. All manuscripts must be original works that have neither been published elsewhere nor are under review with another journal.

Submission Process

Submissions are processed through the Scholar Manuscript System (a rental system used for manuscript submission). The corresponding author, usually the submitting author, is responsible for overseeing the entire submission and peer review process. It is also their duty to ensure that all co-authors are listed, have contributed to the research, and have approved the final version before submission.

To initiate submission, authors must register and log into the system. Co-authors will receive email access to the manuscript details once they are registered.

For the initial submission, there is no need to use the journal’s template, and manuscripts may be submitted using any standardized format. However, once a manuscript is accepted, authors are required to use the Mari Papel y Corrugado LaTeX template (provided via email with the acceptance letter) to facilitate the copy-editing and publishing process. All files must be under 100 MB; if issues arise, please contact the Editorial Office at editorial@maripapel.com.

Accepted manuscripts should be compiled into a ZIP file containing all source files and images, allowing the Editorial Office to regenerate the PDF. While supplementary materials may be submitted in various formats, standard, non-proprietary formats are preferred.

Manuscript Components

All manuscripts must include the following key sections:

• Title: Concise and descriptive, reflecting the main focus of the paper.
• Author Information: Full names and affiliations of all authors, along with the corresponding author’s email (with consent for publication).
• Abstract: A single paragraph, no longer than 200 words, summarizing the study’s background, methods, key results, and conclusions.
• Keywords: 3-10 terms that reflect the study’s primary topics.
• Introduction: Contextualizes the research, stating its objectives and significance. It should include a review of existing literature and end with a summary of the study’s aims.
• Materials and Methods: A detailed description of the research methods, ensuring replicability. Any new techniques should be fully explained.
• Results: A concise summary of the key experimental findings.
• Discussion: Interpretation of the results in light of existing research, acknowledging limitations and suggesting areas for future study. This section may be combined with the Results section.
• Conclusions (optional): Used to summarize key findings in cases of lengthy discussions.
• Figures and Tables: Included with clear captions.
• Funding Information: Disclosure of all financial support.
• Author Contributions: Detailed attribution of contributions using the CRediT taxonomy.
• Conflicts of Interest: A statement regarding potential conflicts.
• References: Sequentially numbered citations, formatted in MLA style. Use reference management tools like EndNote or Zotero to maintain accuracy.

Author Affiliations

Authors should list their current affiliations and the main institution where the majority of the research was conducted. It is important that affiliations are accurate, as post-publication changes may not be possible. If an author is not affiliated with an institution, they may be listed as an “Independent Researcher.”

Preparing Figures, Schemes, and Tables

Placement and Numbering
Ensure that figures, schemes, and tables are placed close to their first mention in the manuscript. These elements should be numbered consecutively (e.g., Figure 1, Scheme 1, Table 1) in the order they appear in the text. Each figure or table must be accompanied by a title and a brief, informative caption to explain its content. For tables, make sure to include clear, informative headings for each column. If the table is particularly large, you may use a smaller font size (but no smaller than 8 pt.) for readability. Use Microsoft Word’s table feature for easy formatting and editing.

Figures and Color
When preparing figures and schemes, authors are encouraged to use color (RGB, 8-bit per channel). This enhances the clarity and impact of visual data, but make sure that color schemes are accessible to readers with color vision deficiencies.

Image Resolution and Formats
For figures involving microscopy or detailed imaging, high-resolution files are required, with a minimum resolution of 1000 pixels width or 300 dpi. Accepted file formats include TIFF, PNG, GIF, and EPS. The editorial team may request the original, unedited image files during the review process, and these should be uploaded as supplementary files to ensure transparency.

Image Editing and Integrity
Images should undergo minimal processing to preserve the integrity of the original data. Adjustments such as cropping, brightness, contrast, or color modifications must be applied consistently across the entire image and should not alter the scientific message. If any area of the image is cropped, the unedited version should be submitted as supplementary material, and the figure legend should clearly note the modifications.

Software and Processing Disclosure
Any software used to process images (e.g., for deconvolution, 3D reconstructions, or image filtering) must be disclosed in the methods section. Ensure that image modifications, such as brightness or contrast adjustments, are applied uniformly across the entire image, avoiding selective enhancement of specific regions that could distort interpretation.

Composite Images
When presenting composite images (i.e., images taken at different times or locations), ensure that boundaries between different images are clearly marked, and the nature of the composite should be fully described in the figure legend.

Data Handling, Supplementary Materials, and Code Sharing

Data Sharing and Transparency
Mari Papel y Corrugado emphasizes open science and encourages authors to make their data—including raw and processed datasets, algorithms, code, and protocols—available for the broader research community. Authors should follow the FAIR principles: Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable. This ensures that the data is not only shared but easily discoverable and usable by others.

Data Repositories
Authors are strongly encouraged to upload their data to publicly accessible repositories. If certain data cannot be shared due to legal, ethical, or privacy concerns, these should be clearly detailed in a Data Availability Statement. In cases where data is proprietary or restricted due to ongoing research, these limitations must also be transparently communicated, including any permissions obtained for sharing.

Data Availability Statement
This section of the manuscript informs readers about where and how they can access the data used in the research. Common examples include:

• Public Repository: “The data are available at [repository name] with DOI [number].”
• Restricted Access: “The data are available upon request due to [privacy, legal, or ethical reasons].”
• No New Data: “No new data were created in this study.”
• Available on Request: “Raw data will be made available by the authors upon reasonable request.”

Long-term Data Preservation
Authors are responsible for ensuring the long-term preservation of their datasets for at least five years after publication. In the event that a repository becomes unavailable, it is the authors’ duty to transfer the data to a new platform and inform the journal. When selecting a repository, it is recommended to choose those that issue stable identifiers, such as DOIs, ensuring persistent access to the data. Resources like re3data.org or fairsharing.org can be used to find appropriate repositories.

Data Citation
Proper citation of both original and reused datasets is essential for academic transparency and reproducibility. All data referenced in the manuscript must be cited accurately in compliance with journal policies.

Code Sharing
If the research involves the development of new software, algorithms, or code, the authors should make these resources openly available. Code should be uploaded to a recognized public repository or included as supplementary material with the manuscript. Clearly cite the software and indicate the version used, along with the repository from which it was obtained.

Supplementary Materials
Authors are encouraged to submit supplementary files that enhance their manuscript, such as additional datasets, figures, or multimedia. These files will be reviewed alongside the manuscript. It is recommended to use widely accepted, non-proprietary formats to ensure accessibility. If certain data are not available at the time of submission, this must be clearly indicated, and placeholders like “data not shown” should be avoided.

For large datasets exceeding 60 MB or files requiring specialized storage, authors must use appropriate institutional or domain-specific repositories. The manuscript should include the repository’s name, URL, and the dataset’s unique identifier (such as DOI or accession number) to facilitate data discovery.

Supplementary References
Any references cited in supplementary files must also be included in the manuscript’s reference list for consistency and proper attribution.

Publication Ethics Statement

Mari Papel y Corrugado is committed to upholding the highest ethical standards in publishing. The journal follows the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines and adheres strictly to their Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines. These principles guide all aspects of the publication process, ensuring transparency, integrity, and ethical compliance in scholarly works.

Key Ethical Responsibilities for Authors

• Conflict of Interest: Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest in their manuscripts. This ensures transparency and allows readers to judge potential biases.

• Research Integrity: Authors must present their findings accurately and provide sufficient detail so that other researchers can replicate the study. This includes making raw data available if requested by referees or editors.

• Data Availability: Raw data should preferably be deposited in a public repository prior to submission. If not publicly available, it should at least be accessible upon request during the review process.

• Plagiarism: The journal has a zero-tolerance policy towards plagiarism, including copying text, ideas, images, or data without proper citation, even from an author’s own previous work. Manuscripts are screened using iThenticate, and plagiarism detected at any stage may result in rejection or retraction.

• Simultaneous Submission: Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals is strictly prohibited.

• Use of Previously Published Content: Translations of previously published work or reuse of images must come with proper permissions and must comply with the journal’s licensing requirements, such as the CC-BY license.

Image Integrity

• Image Manipulation: Images must not be altered in any way that distorts the scientific findings. This includes removing or adding features, merging images from different sources, or modifying contrast and brightness to mislead. If identified, image manipulation may result in rejection of the manuscript or retraction after publication.

Correction and Retraction

If authors identify errors in their work post-publication, they must promptly notify the journal to correct or retract the paper as necessary. If misconduct such as plagiarism or data falsification is confirmed, the journal will contact the authors’ institutions and take appropriate action.

Citation Policy

Mari Papel y Corrugado upholds stringent standards regarding citations, in line with COPE guidelines. Authors must:

• Accurate Source Citation: When using material from any source (including their own previous works), authors must clearly cite the source.

• Avoid Excessive Self-Citation: Self-citation should be relevant and balanced, without being excessive.

• No Citation Without Reading: Authors should not cite works they have not personally read, nor copy references from other sources without proper review.

• Avoid Preferential Citations: Citations should not favor the authors’ own works, friends’, peers’, or their institution’s publications.

• Prohibited Citations: Advertisements or advertorial content must not be cited.

Furthermore, direct quotations from other works, even an author’s own, must appear within quotation marks and include the appropriate citations. This aligns with the ethical citation practices outlined by COPE.

Reviewer Suggestions

During manuscript submission, authors are required to recommend three potential reviewers with relevant expertise. These reviewers should:

• Have no recent collaborations with the authors (within the last three years).
• Belong to different institutions than the authors.
• Be provided with full contact details.

These suggestions help facilitate the review process but are not guaranteed to be selected by the editors.

Extensive English Editing

Authors are responsible for submitting manuscripts in correct English. The journal only provides minor English editing. If a submission requires extensive editing, it may be returned to the author, causing publication delays. Authors are encouraged to have their manuscripts reviewed by an experienced colleague or a paid language-editing service prior to submission.

Authorship

Mari Papel y Corrugado follows ICMJE guidelines for authorship:

1. Substantial Contribution: Authors must contribute significantly to the conception, design, data acquisition, analysis, or interpretation.

2. Critical Draft Review: Authors should actively participate in drafting or revising the manuscript.

3. Approval of Final Version: All authors must approve the final version of the manuscript to be published.

4. Accountability: Authors must agree to be accountable for the integrity of the work.

Any contributors who do not meet these criteria should be acknowledged rather than listed as authors. Changes to the author list must be approved by all co-authors, and the corresponding author serves as the liaison between the editors and co-authors. Mari Papel y Corrugado reserves the right to verify the authorship criteria.